I Am Not Ross

David Allen Talk - Getting Things Done

2010-10-18T16:14:00.002-06:00

This is an interesting talk David Allen recently gave to DO. His explanation or overview of the system is really good and slick here. He also talks about where this came from. Check it out.

Sweet Dr. Strangelove Reference

2010-09-15T15:53:00.001-06:00

If you haven't seen Dr. Strangelove, it won't make a lot of sense at the end, but it is still worth watching. If you have seen it - Colbert does a great send up. Enjoy.

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The Word - Mutually Assured Coercion

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Another great song

2010-07-29T15:01:00.002-06:00

I just heard this one on the radio and really liked it . . . . check it. Letters from the Sky by Civil Twilight.

CNR + Weird Al = Awesome

2010-03-25T10:40:00.001-06:00

This combines so many beautiful elements in life. Nice work Mr. Yankovic.

A call for simplicity

2010-03-24T15:31:00.001-06:00

Another great talk from TED. I love the opening slide that asks why we can run a country with a 16 page document, but the health care bill requires thousands of pages. I'm all for simplifying and clarity in all our documents. Check it:

Too Many Options

2010-02-19T14:37:00.005-07:00

Am I the only one that is trying to figure out when it is best to tweet, buzz, status, blog, text, forward, share, or digg something? There are a lot of good choices, but it is almost getting to the point of work to try and figure out what medium I will use to pass along info. I think I'm hoping for one app to rule them all. Also, has anybody figured out a good use for Wave?

Guess who showed up at my house?

2010-02-12T09:58:00.005-07:00

I found this a little while ago at my parents' house. My nephew was checking out the old toys, so I started digging through some of it. This is one of the best finds . . .

He still looks pretty tough.

Crisis of Conformity

2010-02-09T15:02:00.003-07:00

I don't know why I am sharing nothing but videos lately, but I loved this SNL sketch. Dave Grohl came in and drummed his arms off. I don't know if the song itself (Fistfight in the Parking Lot) was a cover or not, but it had powerful references to Reagan, Happy Meals and Alexander Haig. Not to mention a Suicidal Tendencies type breakdown. It was enough to make me want to go look for my old skateboard . . . except that I think it's broken. Enjoy.

This Guy Makes Sense

2010-01-19T14:11:00.003-07:00

Today I watched a clip from the Daily Show and this fellow, David Walker - former controller general of the US, made a whole lot of sense. He talks about why we are in the financial mess we are in AND how it is the career politicians that are screwing everything up. Word. Worth checking out. I'm really interested in reading his book and added it to my Amazon wishlist.

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How to live to be 100+

2010-01-12T13:22:00.001-07:00

This is an interesting presentation about what people around the world have done to live longer - no secret workouts or diets, just good overall ways to live. This is a TED talk by Dan Buettner. See what you think:

Beware the Empire

2009-12-22T11:35:00.002-07:00

It was only a matter of time . . . I'm sure there are a lot of jokes that could be made at the expense of Wall Street types, but Darth Vader's presence really is pretty awesome.

Music that is taking me back

2009-09-03T14:45:00.006-06:00

During lunch today I stopped by the Provo library and found the New Millennium Hip-Hop Party CD. Score! On my way back to work I enjoyed several tracks that took me straight back to high school (but in a good way). Here are some highlights:

Me Myself and I by De La Soul - this came off one of the first tapes I ever bought. I distinctly remember buying it at the University Mall store (Musicland? - not the one that was near Mervyn's) and listening to it for several days straight. I really need to get that album.

Pray by M.C. Hammer - I borrowed this tape from Ken one time and listened to it while picking raspberries in my grandma's garden. I certainly had to pray to make it that day.

O.P.P. by Naughty by Nature - the memory the brought back was of me buying a "Down Wit O.P.P." hat while on choir tour in Washington D.C. I now kind of cringe at the thought of me wearing that hat around - but I really thought it was cool at the time. Actually, I wish I had hung onto that one.

Gangsta's Paradise by Coolio - I was really surprised by how much I loved listening to this song. What ever happened to Coolio? I have a theory. He is no longer relevant the moment he hung Weird Al out to dry after winning a Grammy. There's no excuse for behaving like that towards Mr. Y, but the song is still good.

People Everyday by Arrested Development - Sure Arrested Development has a much better meaning for me these days, but back in the day, this group was fresh. I remember watching the video to this song while I was at the Palace - anybody remember the palace? Totally took me back to that moment.

It's interesting how many memories for me are tied up on music. Fortunatly, this one has brought back some great times. So I'm thinking I will have this CD on repeat this weekend. Check it out if you get a chance.

Influencer part 4

2009-08-28T12:05:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the delay, things got crazy. So here is the wrap-up for the Influencer class I attended last week. For Friday's session, Ron McMillan presented.

He started out by reminding us that the goal here is not just change, but to improve things. One of the responsibilities we have in life is to influence others. We have to be careful about that because it is not about control on compulsion, but teaching and persuasion. There is a real difference. In fact, Ron posited that the most important capacity we possess is our ability to influence behavior - our own and that of others.

To make a change, you have to ask two questions: can I do it and do I want to do it? If you come up with yes to those, you really can change. Successful influencers will then go further and use all six sources to make change happen. The key is to use the multiple sources of influence since a problem usually has multiple and complex causes. Look at how successful the "Just Say No" campaign was in America. It really only tried to go for verbal persuasion, without dealing with the many complex issues involved.

We really can make a difference in others' lives. We really are social animals and are here in groups. There is a reason churches exist - they give us a community of support for the family. One interesting study he shared showed that in cases of bullying at school, if even on person just yells out "cut that out" 70% of the time the bully will stop. How hard is it to just yell that out? We can make the difference.

Another of my favoirite elements is the idea of space. Analizing our envioronment is important to helping us change. So if we are trying to lose weight, maybe it is just better that we don't have the ice cream in the freezer. We can structure our environment to encourage the changes we want to make.

What strikes me about all of this is that it requires action. You have to act, and not be acted on, react, or just sit there. Change require action.

OK - so what is one thing that you want to change? What is the vital behavior that if you did it, would help you the most to get to that change? Once you identify that, then it is tapping into as many sources of influence as you can to do the vital behavior. Of course you have to want to change and must have the tool, knowledge and acumin to change. It is also helpful to have the right people around you that will encourage and enable you. And don't forget about the rewards and the environment.

Pick something you want to change and do it!

So that's the recap. This session was really a summary of the other three days. But, if you would like to see this subject addressed by the authors in an MIT Sloan article, click here.

In the end, this is really good stuff. I fully recommend the book and the training if it is available to you.

Influencer part 3

2009-08-20T13:51:00.004-06:00

So today we had Kerry Patterson teaching more of the Influencer. Today we get into what you can do to help influence change. It turns out that we really under-utilize all of the ways we can help ourselves and others change. A lot of this starts with our diagnosis of the problem.

The problem is that we act as if our problems have only one cause. Greg doesn't empty the dishwasher because he doesn't care. So then we look for one simple solution that will fix it. That is what they call a fundamental attribution error. In reality, most problems are way more complex than that. A drug addict doesn't just lack the willpower, they may be in an environment that makes it tough to make the change. They might also not have the skills they need to change or the social support. We too often attibute things like this to a matter of sheer willpower, but there are many other things that contribute. Once we diagnose these several things, then we can work on a prescription.

So now the model. There are generally two reasons we do anything: motivation and ability. We want to do something and/or we are able to do something. The cool thing that they found is that you can expand that a little to add three forces to motivation and ability. These are personal forces, social forces, and structural forces. I'll recap each:

Personal Motivation - it starts here. We have a hard time doing things we don't want to do. So when you hear somebody saying that they don't want to do something or that their heart isn't in it, it is a problem with their personal motivation. This is the easist to diagnose and we tend to really try and hit this one. The key, is opening up the rest of these.
Personal Ability - do they have the knowledge, skills, and strength to do it? For example, healthy eating requires willpower for sure, but what skills are required? Knowing how to cook, how to shop, how to plan meals, etc. could all be affecting the person's ability to really eat well. A person might want to stop being addicted to something, but do they have the skills to get them out of the addiciton? It is a really interesting concept of moving beyond just motivation.
Social Motivation - This is where you ask if other people are encouraging or discouraging the right behavior. Kerry shared a video from Dr. Wansink (Mindless Eating) who has studied eating behaviors. He shows how we tend to eat more when we are with other people than when we are by ourselves. Just think about going to dinner with a group of people. You might be full, but you will continue to eat as long as others are eating. Even though you are full - it is just a social thing. Another interesting example that Patterson brought up was that we encourage the wrong behaviors because we don't want to really confront them. His example was a guy who gives 4-5 minute opening prayers at church despite requests from church leaders to keep it brief. The problem is that when the bishop gets up to the mic and says, thank you so-and-so for that wonderful prayer. Great, next time it will be 8 minutes! Are the people around you or the person wanting change encouraging the right behavior?
Social Ability - This is pretty similar, but we are specifically looking at whether others enable us. The key word there is enable. We watched a video from Dr. Wansink again talking about how kids are getting heavier. It is easy to point the finger at fast food companies or whatever, but the fact is that there is usually one person in the home who is the food gatekeeper and controls about 75% of the food choices the family makes. That gatekeeper (usually the mother) has a HUGE influence on the nutrition of the whole family. Nobody, especially a loving mother, wants to say "I'm a bad mom," or that they are harming thier children, but in fact, if that person is not making good nutritional choices (cookies greet kids coming home from school vs. fruit for instance) they are a major part of the problem. This gatekeeper is enabling the bad behavior by their food selection and preparation. So now we are maybe seeing that there are a lot of sources to a problem, and therefore we will have to think of a lot of strategies to solve them.
Structural Motivation - These are the non-human motivators. Things such as pay, promotions, bonuses, prozes, presents, treats that all encourage the right behaviors and the inverse would discourage the wrong behaviors. We have to be careful about how we use this source of motivation. If you are not careful, your kids are studying for the money they get for good grades and not the knowledge. "Of course I never pass the ball, my dad pays me $20 for every goal I score!" Beyond punishment and rewards, the environment really affects us. Patterson had us think about an inner-city, low-income family. They consume far less fruits and vegetables than other families. Why is this? Do they not like them? More likely, those things cost more. There are also less good grocery stores in inner cities and many of the groceries end up being purchased in 7-Eleven or White Hen. Interesting stuff.
Structural Ability - The non-human enablers. This is dealing with whether the environment provides the tools, facilities, and space that enables good behavior or bad behavior. They introduced a term: propinquity. This deals with the actual space you are in. If the people you work with very closely are located in a building a mile away, that makes it harder. Back to Dr. Wansink. He did a study where he took smart grad students and taught them for 90 minutes about how you will eat more out of a bigger container. So if you have chex mix in a gallon container, you will eat more than if it is served in 2 half-gallon containers. Six weeks later, he invited the students over for a super bowl party and served . . . chex mix. He divided them up into two groups, one where the chex mix was in gallon containers and the others in half-gallon ones. They figured out a clever way to weigh the amount of snacks they chose and found that the group with the gallon containers took on average 53% more mix. That is 278 more calories, in just the first round. All due to the size of the serving container. That's why one of the tricks to portion control is to use smaller plates - makes you think there is more.

To put all of these together for us, we saw another video of somebody re-creating the Milgram Studies. I'm not going to recap the whole study, but the idea was that he wanted to see if people would torture and kill others. Most all of us would say there is no way we would ever torture people, but he showed that under the right influences, he could get 2/3 of his participants (normal people) to do it. The amount went up to 90% if they were with another person who was totally willing to do it. [Keep in mind this study was not waterboarding, but adminitering increasing electrical shocks to someone in increasing voltage even after they have protested and gone silent - all in the name of science and the study - you should read about it - fascinating]. We all would like to think we are in the 1/3 who wouldn't do it, but the numbers (which have been confirmed in subsequent studies) hold strong. If there are three of us talking, chances are two would go all the way. Crazy. The point to all this is that you really can influence (for good or evil I suppose) other people when using multiple sources or strategies.

The key, then, is to diagnose looking for all six of these sources, not just motivation. If we can correctly find out why we are not doing the desired behavior (or the "vital" behavior) we have a much better chance of making real and lasting change. Motivation has to be there, but we have to address the other factors and sources as well. Tomorrow we should see how to put all of this together.

Influencer part 2

2009-08-19T11:05:00.002-06:00

Just got back from the second round of Influencer. This one was run by Al Switzler who co-authored the book. Today focused a little more on the big picture - how to stop talking and start teaching.

Al began by asking us how we usually try to influence others. We have a lot of bad strategies, but our go-to form of influence seems to be either talking (lecturing, nagging) or coercion. That is what we go to when we find resistance. That is the problem - it doesn't work as well as we would hope. The solution that Al posited is to replace the lectures, threats and nagging with experiences.

If we look at our strategies of persuasion on a scale, verbal persuasion would be on the least effective end. For example, you might tell your child "don't run into the street." On the other end of the scale you have direct experience. This is the most persuasive method - what better way to learn not to run into the street than by having a bad experience. This has obvious limitations. You don't want to learn of the negative effects of drugs by first becoming a heroin addict. So what do we do to find a way to help the child see the effects of running in the street without actually running in the street? The answer - or the in between method is the vicarious experience.

An example used in the presentation was two health care companies. Each made a presentation to try and motivate the entire staff to improve the quality of care. The first was a dry power point with lots of stats and the directer lecturing (boring). The next was a video of an actual patient who had experienced a heart attack. As you hear her narrate the story, her family and each of the people who cared for her (EMT, cardiologist, accountant, nurses, lab tech, etc.) started to file in and stand with her in the spotlight. It was a touching story and talked about all of the little things that each did to make her stay more comfortable. I know this is hard to describe without showing the video, but the second made a connection with your emotions. It was much more effective - and would be more effective for the staff than just seeing stats.

Another example is McDonald's. Their executives are required periodically to go and work the drive thru at a restaurant. They get real info about what actually happens. In one instance an exec noticed that the napkins were placed in an inconvenient spot and he was spending all day grabbing those. When he asked about that, the manager told him that they had send numerous emails to get it changed. A week later, the napkins problem was solved. It was that direct experience that really moved beyond the data. It added heart. This is what they mean by a vicarious experience. It taps into something, makes that connection and really influences you.

Now, you have to keep in mind that if verbal persuasion works, use it. When it doesn't work, then you need to change your strategy. Don't just get louder and repeat your lectures. There is a definition of insanity that it is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. They call this desperation. What it turns out to be . . . is nagging. We all know how effective that is.

So how do you get this vicarious experience. They suggested two ways: a field trip, and stories. The McDonald's story is a good example of the field trip. Harley Davidson's engineers are also sent to dealerships to talk to the mechanics so that they can get real experience with what they see on a regular basis.

To apply this, suppose you have a daughter that is having a hard time wanting to practice her piano. You come home and she is watching TV when she should be practicing. What do you do? Our default is usually to go to the verbal persuasion: nagging, threatening, counting, etc. How effective is this? So what would be some non-verbal persuasion tactics you could use? What about taking her to a concert where she could see somebody playing music she likes. Maybe you could arrange to talk to them after about how much they practice. You could play with the daughter. You could sit and listen. You could have her play on the phone for grandma. You could allow her more control over the songs she learns. Interesting. The defaut is going to verbal because it is easy and we are "good" at it. The trick is getting beyond that and creating vicarious experiences that will really motivate.

The other way is to tell stories. Stories have been used to teach forever. Just look at the bible. When you think of a training or a class you enjoyed, usually it is the stories that you remember. If you can figure out a way to either create your own stories or stories of others, that really helps. Research shows that hearing stories fires the same way in our brain as if we were experiencing the event ourselves. Hence the benefit of telling stories.

So that's the recap of day two. Move beyond just verbal persuasion to try and provide experiences which will really motivate people (and ourselves) to change. More to come . . .

Mistaken Identity . . . . again

2009-08-19T08:59:00.002-06:00

Yesterday was yet another "Hey, has anybody told you that you look like Ross?" moment. We went to the HFAC to check out BYU's used piano sale (magically coinciding with ed week) and as soon as we walked in the sales guy blurted that out. He then proceeded to say that I must get that all the time. True dat, yo. I gave him the url to my blog.

Influencer part 1

2009-08-18T11:13:00.004-06:00

One of the benefits of being on campus during education week is that I can cherry pick some classes here and there. One that caught my eye is a class based on the book Influencer by Patterson, Grenny, Maxfield, McMillan, & Switzler. I was recently able to attend a multi-day training on this and I will be teaching this class to BYU employees. Which means a great opportunity to hear the ideas from the horse's mouth. Why not a quick summary of the classes, posted here? I fully recommend the book and the training which you can find here.

The book is about how to get people to change (and really, how to get ourselves to change). Who wouldn't want a little help with this? Today, Joseph Grenny gave an introduction to the book and started with the first concept:

The best way to improve results is not to focus on results, but the behaviors that produce them, and
Even with complex and long-standing problems, just a few vital behaviors can lead to enormous change.

What does that mean exactly? How many of us have bad habits that we would like to change? How about bad habits of others we would like to change? He gave an example of a friend of his that has a son who is addicted to drugs and wants to change but doesn't know how. Talk about a tough situation. How about a gambling addiction? How do we lose and keep off those pounds that are taking up residence around the midsection? It turns out that we all have theories about how to fix the problems. The problem with that is that we usually can't articulate our theory, and even if we can, they don't work. So what do we do?

The authors looks at this questions and did a lot of research from famed influencers across the world. Dr. Hopkins who has worked to eliminate the Guinea worm from the world, Don Berwick who has successfully helped health care professionals reduced the number of deaths in hospitals, Mimi Silbert who has helped hardened criminals stay out of jail and out of trouble with a 91% success rate (all of these stories are found in the book).

What they found: They were able to identify key behaviors that when changed, let to HUGE change. He shared a story of how his 3-year-old asked him to help color one day. As he got down to color, his son instructed him on how to make a high-quality picture. You can scribble and go as fast as you want in the middle, but when you get near the lines, slowing down makes it much much better. The key there is that there are moments when you have to slow down and really focus on a particular thing. Little behaviors can have a big effect. So what we have to do is not focus on results so much, but what are the vital behaviors that get us to the results - like slowing down when you get to the lines. We have to find the lead domino that will lead to the other actions we want to do to get results.

How do you identify a vital behavior? It will be something that leads to results, beats self-defeating patterns, and causes other positive behaviors to follow naturally. Easy, right?

The trick is to look at your thing you want to improve (say becoming healthy and shedding some extra pounds) and looking for the crucial moments. You aren't tempted to eat junk 24/7, but usually at certain times of the day. So if you get snacky at 4:00 pm, you can focus there first. Here is where this gets really cool. Look for what they call positive deviance. Look for people who could have the same problem, but don't. They have figured something out (or you do research, or you look back at your own life when you didn't have the problem - what were you doing then that you aren't doing now). Find out what they do, and apply it. So you want to find who to look for as an example, figure out when those critical moments are when a different behavior might make a big difference downstream, and then find out what the positive deviants do during these moments that others don't.

For example Senor Grenny shared that when he is on the road, he struggled with exercising. So what is the crucial moment? He found that if he could set his alarm and get up at 5:30 and pull on his shorts and get to the front door of the hotel and take that first step, he would exercise. It is that series of events that improves his overall health. So then he would work with how to make that happen (upcoming).

The key then, is to realize that there is a good way to influence ourselves and others. And it starts by identifying the vital behaviors that lead to the results that we want. What one thing would make the biggest difference downstream if I could just do it. Then we can figure out how to do that one thing that will really start us off to the results we want. More to come . . .

Savings Account

2009-07-31T16:41:00.002-06:00

I have been less than happy with the plunging rate of return for my online savings account. I keep thinking that it was earning around 5% at one point and until recently was down to 1.39%. Not nearly as awesome. Two things have restored my interest in the account:

The rate actually went UP. That's right, it is now sitting at 1.4% - in the words of KT, "booyah!"
I finally figured out how to create sub-accounts. This is going to make budgeting, and saving for particular line-items that much easier. For example - now I will know exactly how much I have saved up for the next vehicle. I can even set it up to draw a certain amount each month and I don't have to think about it. Sure, maybe it is only 50 cents, but it's a start, right?

I know none of this is all that innovative, but I got pretty excited by those two things. Just watch out for when we actually create a budget . . .

Pics from RSL Game

2009-07-08T16:11:00.007-06:00

I'm digging the new stadium in Sandy. If you haven't been to a RSL game - you're missing out.

Q-Tip Album Review

2009-04-24T14:56:00.002-06:00

I used my library card to check out the new album from Q-Tip called The Renaissance. I have had it only two days and have listened to the entire album 3.5 times (and plan to listen to it again tonight as I am painting). The fact that I keep wanting to listen is the sign of a good record for me. I think I like it so much because it reminds me of his days with A Tribe Called Quest. For me, those were the golden days of hip-hop. I am still struck by how smooth Q-Tip is with his vocals - and yes, he can still kick it. There are even guest appearances by Eve, Norah Jones, and D'Angelo. All in all, a solid album that is best listened to in its entirety. Using a Jaacen-esque rating scale, I would give this album 4 out of 5 wallets left in El Segundo. Check it.

Earth Day = Nixon Day

2009-04-22T14:37:00.005-06:00

Most people think of April 22nd as Earth Day. Cool. I prefer to live the "earth day every day" mantra, but earth day is cool too. What is truly significant about this day is that 15 years ago former president Richard Nixon passed away. Coincidence? Did you know that the EPA was created under Nixon's administration? Well it was. So today, don't just think about the earth, but of our fallen hero: President Nixon. The more you know . . .

Where is my mind?

2009-04-06T16:11:00.008-06:00

I've had this padlock for at least 10 years. I first bought it to keep my school stuff safe during my PE classes at the BY. It accompanied me to Europe in '99 - effectively locking up my borrowed C-bag. You can even see the remains of the sticker the immigration people put on it in London. It spent the rest of its career securing my goods at the gym, until it was locking down our moving truck while driving to UT from Chicago. I must have dialed the combination hundreds of times over the past decade.
That's why it was so disturbing when I suddenly could not remember the combination. Sure it had been a few months since I used it, but still. As I stood in the Gold's Gym locker room, my mind was blank. The problem was that I had used the lock for so long, that I never bothered to write down the combination anywhere. I thought by then it would be hard-wired into my brain, like my social security number or my blood type (check that, I still can't remember my blood type).

At least I realized I didn't know the combo BEFORE clicking it on the locker. I kept racking my brain during the workout trying to remember the combo - I was sure I had it while struggling up the stairmaster, but no. I kept working on it all night until I finally decided to sleep on it. Morning did not bring the combination to my mind. I was really starting to worry when all of a sudden, as I was getting ready to leave for work, I just walked over and dialed in the combo. Where was that hiding? It's like my brain just temporarily misplaced that file or something. It is now clear as day in my head. Seriously? At least it came back to me - I would have hated getting a new one.

Photoshop Class Rocks

2009-03-30T15:11:00.001-06:00

This is what we made in photoshop class today. I really can't think of anything more American than this.

Shuttle Launch

2009-03-26T16:13:00.002-06:00

I'm finally getting around to posting pictures from the shuttle launch we saw from the Orlando airport Hyatt. We volunteered to be bumped and got to see the launch - it was much more impressive than I would have thought for being 50 miles away.

Fringe Benefits

2009-03-26T09:07:00.003-06:00

One of the benefits of working at a university is being able to take classes. I haven't signed up for a "real" class quite yet (still trying to find the wood shop class and contemplating medieval french philosophy - so many options), but I am taking a pretty good Photoshop class. It is only 4 sessions, but soon I will be retouching photos like a Soviet-era pro.

5 things for 3-16-09

2009-03-16T17:47:00.002-06:00

KT and I scored $400 vouchers by staying an extra night in Orlando on Delta. I think that just paid the airfare for our next trip.
Saw the shuttle launch last night from the hotel terrace. I'll have to post some pics later - very impressive, even from 50 miles away.
Starting to like No Line on the Horizon.
Had the inspection done on the new house - next step . . . lock in a sweet loan rate.
I'm really excited about putting to use the training I went to Orlando to get. A lot about how to engage classes and structure training. Doesn't sound exciting, but it is.

Greg Recommends . . .

2009-03-09T14:25:00.004-06:00

Last night as I was watching an episode of the X-Files in bed, I realized just how much fun I've had watching the show. I've had the goal of watching every episode for some time. I started when KT was studying for the bar and then picked it up again when we started our subscription to Netflix in Chicago. It was pretty slow going (what with all KT's Meryl Streep movies), but now that the Murray library has a fully stocked (and surprisingly available) cache of X-Files DVDs, I am rolling along. I'm currently into season five and I'm amazed at how good the stories are and the quality of the writing. These - especially these last two seasons have been the best. The more episodes I watch, the better it gets. I don't know if they can keep up this pace, but I'm certainly happy about the journey. I heartily recommend watching X-Files, even better if you can start from the beginning.

Also, I did see the recent movie and I really enjoyed it. Keep in mind I'm a fan, but it was really fun to see where Mulder and Scully were a few years down the road. I, for one, hope they make more movies.

VH1 Lists

2009-02-05T09:12:00.003-07:00

For some reason, I love to watch the "100 Greatest" shows on VH1. A couple of weeks ago it was the 100 Greatest Hip-Hop songs and last night was the greatest heavy rock songs. I guess I'm a sucker for pretty much any countdown that doesn't include Carson Daly. Some of the songs are better than others and I don't always agree with the selections, but I still enjoy watching. It always reminds me of songs I've been meaning to buy. The other things that are interesting are the factoids. Where else are you going to find out that Lita Ford and Joan Jett both got their start in the Runaways? That is music knowledge you can use. Aside from the trivia, I also like the interviews. You have Ice-T talking about how cool Public Enemy is, or Slash discussing why Queen rocks. It's just interesting and sometimes they give you some good comments like Ted Nugent who was talking about how people love to go to his concerts and roast marshmallows on the flames that shoot out of his arse. Rock on Ted.

Back to the Future

2009-01-20T09:36:00.003-07:00

Last weekend I was looking for a tape I could use to record the season premier of 24 (the process I refer to as budget TiVo). I found a tape labeled "Back to the Future" and wondered if anybody had watched it in the last 10 years. Probably not, but when I popped it in, I ended up watching for a while and thinking I need to revisit the movie. I haven't watched it yet, but it is in my Netflix queue. I stumbled across this lego BTTF creation that reminded me again that I want to watch it. I makes me wonder what other 80's movies I need to revisit.

Food Poisoning

2009-01-14T08:56:00.004-07:00

I had to leave work early yesterday because I had a mild case of food poisoning. Fun! I was sure it was the three-week-old ham that we had the night before, but nobody else who ate it was sick. There goes that theory. Maybe it was hummus I snarfed down while watching the first installment of 24 (which, by the way is very good so far). I can't figure out what it was, but something did not agree with my stomach. I even got to toss my cookies in a public toilet - thankfully it was super clean in the stall.

Thanks to Kris Tina who took care of me. I'm the biggest baby when I get sick, and she put up with it fantastically. Once I was ready to eat something, she even produced Gatorade and some deliciously salty chicken noodle soup - to quell my insatiable appetite for salt that I had all of a sudden.

Today - much better and a regular appetite. I am still determined to stay away from that ham.

5 Things to get me for Christmas

2008-12-23T14:12:00.012-07:00

Just in case anybody wants to get me a last-minute gift, I wanted to throw out some ideas (in no particular order):

I have asked for it before, but I am still hoping for the Chewbacca backpack. Whether it would be holding my work items, carrying scriptures to church, or just functioning as a man-bag - there is no better way to be a geek than with this. Plus there is free shipping on this item if you follow the link. How can you beat that? You can't, so what are you waiting for?

While we are on the subject of the Star Wars, I am still waiting for these sheets. No explanation necessary. They are just awesome. On the Potter Barn Kids site they have an entire Star Wars system that would be awesome. The only trick would be trying to get KT to go along with a SW themed room. She is pretty cool though, I think it would be fine . . . and tastefull.

I was thinking also that a nice vacuum tube amp for my iPod would be awesome. This one would be awesome too.

What would a Christmas list be without some Legos? If anybody is interested, I would LOVE this new Death Star kit. Of course the Millennium Falcon would be pretty cool as well.

OK, so many of these items are pretty expensive. So what about a budget option? A t-shirt of course. Then I could be just like Seth.

I figured I would limit my list to just 5 killer items, but I think you get the idea. So if anybody is wondering what to get me, now you know. Really, I think this list would be pretty universal for any guy. Feel free to use it for your husband/boyfriend/nephew/etc.

500 is Not the magic number

2008-12-23T13:54:00.002-07:00

I love/miss the Chicago, but I do not miss certain things like Chicago "celebrating" its 500th homicide in 2008. What in the world are all those cops and all the police-blue-light-special cameras doing? I have an idea . . . but I'm not sure I really want to know. Sure, it's a down time in the economy and all, but wow - that is a lot of murder for one town. Maybe it really is becoming Gotham. They need the bat-man.

Tacky

2008-12-19T09:08:00.003-07:00

It looks like Congress will get their pay raise this year. It will be about 2.8% up from an average of $169,300 per year. I know this is a drop in the bucket of the overall federal budget, but it just seems a little hypocritical of them to be hammering away at auto maker CEOs for riding to the hearings in their private jets and then to give themselves raises during an economic downturn. I think it just sends the wrong message to America. So as Stephen Colbert would say: A wag of the finger to you, Congress.

New Album From U2 On The Way

2008-12-19T08:35:00.004-07:00

This may be old news to the die-hard fans, but I just found out that U2 will be releasing a new album on March 2. I'm a little out of the loop I guess, even though I've always enjoyed the sounds of U2 and followed them quite closely for quite a while. Seeing them in concert was even one of my Life To Do items (accomplished - 3 times). I guess I had pretty much forgotten about them over the last few years - I mean it's been about 5 years since their last album - which was just OK to my ear. This one could be very interesting as they have been working with Rick Ruben - who seems to like to help bands reboot their sound. So I'm pretty excited to see what they've come up with. I think the new album will be called "No Line on the Horizon." I'll be sure and review it once I've given it a listen.

I Miss Chicago Because . . .

2008-12-09T13:05:00.004-07:00

Nobody does corruption like Chicago (and by association Illinois). Sure it's a fantastic place to live, but there is some serious craziness that goes down in the politics of Chicago. The latest fiasco involves the current governor getting arrested this morning on charges of corruption. There are several charges, but one is basically trying to sell Mr. Obama's vacant senate seat for political gain. It doesn't stop there, but you get the idea. Keep in mind that the last governor is currently doing time (and seeking a pardon from President Bush) for his own tomfoolery. You'd think Blagojevich would learn from those before him. Check out all the details in this article. My favorite quote so far is that this would "make Lincoln roll over in his grave." Awesome. I miss this kind of excitement in the news here. I mean, people were throwing stones at Nancy Workman for hiring some family members. That's kids' stuff in the windy city.

For some reason Gov. Blagojevich always reminds me of Mayor Quimby when he speaks. Now I know why. I mean "allegedly" I know why.

Colbert Update

2008-12-05T09:42:00.003-07:00

Huffington Post carried an update to the Operation Humble Kanye.(Link.) There is an embedded Hulu clip of the show - it is his lead story - complete with a victory dance and accreditation from Al Roker. Check it.

Operation Humble Kanye

2008-12-03T09:23:00.004-07:00

I have to admit that Stephen Colbert makes me laugh. I came across this article in the Red Eye (a free daily we read all the time while waiting for the EL in Chicago). I just like the entire thing Colbert has put together. Here is the article:

Colbert declares war on Kanye

Published December 3 2008

Stephen Colbert has declared war on Kanye West.

In an attempt to take over the top album spot on iTunes currently occupied by Kanye's "808s & Heartbreak" and drum up sales for his own Christmas album, the faux-news host launched "Operation Humble Kanye" on "The Colbert Report" Monday night. (Colbert's "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All" is currently in 16th place.)

Colbert knocked Kanye's recent declaration that he's the voice of his generation saying, "with all the auto-tuning on your records you're barely the voice of your own albums."

"You want to be the voice of a generation—get in line," Colbert continues. "It goes me, Obama Girl, the freecreditreport.com guys—then it's a tie between you and Crocs."

We eagerly await West's all-caps blog rebuttal.

RedEye

I particularly like the crack about the auto-tuning. You can see the article in its original home HERE. I really hope Colbert wins.

My Vote Counted

2008-11-20T15:05:00.004-07:00

I finally found out today that my vote this year counted. Since I relocated back to the UT from Chicago, I had to register late to get on the roll. KT was fine because we are living with her parents in her home precinct, but I didn't make it on the books. When I showed up at 7:00 am to vote, I was the first one to go cast my provisional vote in the fake booth. You know, the plastic one that they set up to make you feel like your vote is going to count, even though it is a Xeroxed ballot on regular paper. I colored in the bubbles and then put it into a "very" official looking red bag, which suspiciously looked like the bag they store the fake booth in. Needless to say, I had my doubts as to whether they would count it.

That wasn't the only fun. Just to get the ballot I had to fill out an info sheet and show my photo ID to a guy who then looked at me and said, "wow, I'm only a year younger than you are and you look like you could be my father." Excuse me? What are you saying? Are you saying that I look like I am 50? Seriously? Do you really think I look that old? I think there was a reason this guy had enough free time to be hanging out at the polling place all day. At least, that's what I've been telling my pride for the last couple of weeks. I've also purchased a bottle of Grecian Formula for Men just to make sure we don't have a mistake like that again.

The good news is that even though I was mistaken for my father, I voted and it counted. Now lets hope these people we've elected do a great job.

It's all relative

2008-11-18T16:41:00.004-07:00

This has really bugged me too . . .

check the original here.

Choculus Update

2008-10-28T10:00:00.003-06:00

UPDATE: I just want to make clear that I still love the Count Chocula - but after this morning of my entire breakfast consisting of just one bowl of the delicious treat, I have decided that it is just barely better than eating cotton candy for breakfast. I was hungry again before I even got to work. Granted, I have a long bus ride to get hungry on, but I was still really hungry. Deliciousness has its price.

Looks like I need to go back to some old fashioned oatmeal with berries if I want an actual breakfast. Count Chocula will now move from the food catagory to be a "treat" along with Twix and Jaycie's famous snickerdoodles.

Count Choculitis

2008-10-27T08:57:00.004-06:00

Every year around Halloween I get the urge to eat Count Chocula. I know there is pretty much no nutritional value to the cereal - in fact it is probably sugar and recycled newspapers fortified with some vitamins - but I just have to have at least one box.

Happy Halloween Week!

Wall Art

2008-10-21T13:06:00.002-06:00

My office walls are bare. I need to put something up, but I'm not really sure what. I think if I could have access to any painting in the world, I would like to try out this Rothko for a while:

I wonder if the BY has this in their collection and would let me borrow it . . . .

5 things on October 6th

2008-10-07T10:04:00.001-06:00

Rode to and from work on the Sandy Trax to BYU express bus. It does take longer to get there than if I was driving, but it is also nice not to have to worry about traffic or driving.
Tried to have lunch with KTC but she was tied up with student counseling. Bought a year-long bus pass instead.
Attended my benefits orientation meeting. It was a lot of information and a lot of pieces of paper being thrown at me.
Made tacos for dinner. I'm trying not to eat red meat for my health so it was made with ground turkey. Found out that the Old El Paso seasoning isn't as good as others and we are going to make soft shell tacos next time - but still pretty good.
Watched 2 episodes of Heroes season 2. I know a lot of people didn't like season 2, but so far it has been really good.

Word of the day

2008-09-12T08:10:00.004-06:00

This morning my co-worker came in and asked if anybody knew the definition of irony. I think it was tied to some fun he was going through with one of our clients, but the point is that it made me think - what does irony mean? I mean, of course my answer to him was "well, it's like rain on your wedding day - or a free ride when you are already late." I mean that's what Alanis taught us right? So as a PSA, I thought it would be a good reminder to post the definition:

1) The use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning, OR 2) incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result.

Wikipedia has a pretty interesting article on irony. Also, it appears that an old photo of mine is indeed ironic. Now go out and find something ironic - even though it might or might not be ironic to be looking for irony . . .

Note: the definition used in this post is my edited version of the M-W.com entry for irony. Since I am a self-proclaimed KIA, I am allowed to do such things.

No Respect

2008-09-01T18:16:00.003-06:00

How does the USPS roll through the Chicago hood? This is how.

Who you gonna call?

2008-08-08T13:07:00.005-06:00

I couldn't help but laugh when I read this (click on it for a bigger version). Link

I just liked the idea of religion and 80's awesomeness in combination. Maybe this was the failed idea for the 4th movie. Who knows? Jaacen introduced me to the xkcd comic lots of gems on the site. Check it.

For my next home project

2008-06-26T10:31:00.005-06:00

I found this Star Wars Home Theater randomly, but how cool would this be in your basement? I wonder if this same company could convert our condo into the Millennium Falcon . . . . It's the coolest home theater I've seen. (Make sure you click around and see all this little details of the project)

Update: I found another site that shows a few more views of the ultimate Star Wars Home Theater.

Pandora Plug

2008-06-19T16:46:00.008-06:00

I'm lucky enough to be able to listen to music quite a bit at work. I always have my trusty iPod with me (actually it's KT's because my old iPod finally bit the dust - it still works as an external hard drive, but the wheel doesn't work anymore - sorry to see you go little buddy). I dig the iPod and have loved holding my entire music collection in my hand which still amazes me. The problem with having all of your music right there is trying to figure out what to listen to. I have playlists set up, but sometimes I just want something new and random. Enter Pandora radio. You can pick a band or a particular song to start from and then it will set up "stations" based on the music DNA of the band or song you picked. It's like your own personal radio station where you can add songs and rate what comes up to further customize the station. Right now I've been listening to a station that I started with Black Flag. I've realized that there is a lot of hardcore punk out there yet to be discovered for me. I have always enjoyed Punk, but this has been focusing a lot on earlier bands (Bad Religion, Circle Jerks, Vandals, Rise Against, etc.) which has taken me beyond my old favorites like the Misfits, Ramones, Clash, etc. Pretty good stuff.

Other stations/seeds I have enjoyed: Muse, De La Soul, Soda Stereo.

Note: this post in in memoriam of Checkers - my iPod that finally gave out on me. We've had some good times - but it's time to upgrade . . .

New Weezer Video

2008-06-05T10:37:00.001-06:00

I can't help it, I just dig these cats.

The tally goes up

2008-05-18T20:28:00.003-06:00

Today at church I scored #2 on my "do you know who you look like" count. That's right - I was starting to think it was dead because I was going to start keeping track, but the high counselor came up to me with that golden question. He couldn't remember the character's name, but know he was on Friends. I helped him out.

Productivity and Bruce Lee

2008-05-13T21:15:00.004-06:00

Came across this post about Bruce Lee principles being applied to productivity. Check it or get kicked in the head. For some reason, I'm a sucker for reading about productivity. Not that I am able to apply it as well as I should - but I really like to read about it. I'll have to throw out some of my favorites in future posts. Until then - dig the Bruce.

Interesting . . .

2008-05-09T13:37:00.005-06:00

Some of the people I work with are fairly well connected with the democratic party. They just attended some sort of political function where at least one of them got the feeling that if Obama finally gets the nod, he may tap the other Illinois Senator Dick Durbin for VP. Interesting, but unlikely. An all Illinois ticket. I know they are pretty close and all, but it doesn't seem to be politically smart to have two people on the same ticket from the same state. Another name that is much more likely is Bill Richardson (whom I've met). So really there's not much to the story, but it is interesting to see who the VP nominees will be. No idea on McCain.

Also, I've been listening to Baltimore by Stephen Malkmus (former lead singer of Pavement) recently. It's on his new album Real Emotional Trash. Check it.

More Iron Man News

2008-05-05T16:13:00.001-06:00

I am probably way behind the geek curve here, but I just read that Iron Man has passed the test and the sequel is already under way. Also mentioned in the article are Thor and Captain America movies. Link to article.

Iron Man

2008-05-05T11:21:00.004-06:00

Saturday night I went to see Iron Man and was not disappointed. I haven't followed the comics too much, so I'm not sure how true they are to them, but I thought the movie was awesome. The casting was very good, the effects were sharp, and I liked the story. Kris Tina liked it too even though she had NO desire to see it before we went. Thanks to Adam, we were able to convince the ladies to go - nice work.

I think Marvel is doing a great job of bringing to life its universe. Iron Man isn't exactly a household name like Batman or Spiderman, yet the movie pulled in about $100 million this weekend. Nice work Marvel. Let the summer movies begin - so far it's looking good. I fully recommend this movie.

Election Coverage

2008-04-24T13:14:00.003-06:00

Is it just me or is the interactive board thing that CNN is using to cover the elections the coolest device ever? It's like monority report, but for election geeks. I tried to find a picture of it, but was the best I could do. They can just touch a state or county on the screen and bring up graphs instantly, or even draw on the board with their fingers. It is the coolest thing ever. Where was that thing when I was in school? Maybe they will have a version of it on their website soon that we can play with. A big shout out to CNN for bringing their A game to the election coverage. Now just figure out a way that I can play with it too.

Today's PSA

2008-04-21T21:05:00.004-06:00

Note to the guy on the train this morning who appears to answer his calls with “where my baby-mama at?” One, your cell phone is NOT a portable boom box. Look into getting earphones when attempting to listen to your music. Two, you are on a train. Speakerphone is not appropriate for a public phone conversation let alone the music shared with the rest of us. I realize you were probably just trying to provide a soundtrack to our ride, but please stop. If we want music, we will get out our earphones and listen to something - privately - like considerate human beings. Again, headphones would be better for all involved. Thank you.

Great Time Mgt Lecture

2008-04-14T14:23:00.006-06:00

I've been meaning to watch this video from Randy Pausch for a while. I was able to squeeze it in a few minutes here and there, but it really is a great lecture about time management. I blogged about the Last Lecture before that you can check out too. When it comes down to it, time is the most important commodity we have, so why not manage it well? I have a lot of work to do in this area. After watching it, I have several things am starting to do today. Check it out:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5784740380335567758&hl=en

Another good comic

2008-04-14T09:32:00.004-06:00

Saw this one in the Sunday comics (click on the image to see a bigger version). Pretty funny. I just like the idea of the civil war re-enactment being crashed by Trekkies.

Mistaken Identity

2008-04-10T14:02:00.002-06:00

Today I finally remembered to start counting the number of times people tell me I look like Ross. It happened today at the end of the training class I was teaching. A lady said "hey Ross!" So I turned around and the ladies just laughed it up. Then there were the normal, has anybody told you that you look like that guy? I even got a question about if I have any fossils in my pocket. Apparrantly it took her these two days to figure out who it was that I looked like. Nice work, Rose, nice work. At least I was able to get an entry in my tally.

In addition, I have added the tally box to my blog sidebar. I wish I had been doing this for the last five years because a "1" over there in my tally box is not very impressive. But know this - there have been many. I'll keep the counter running.

Space Age?

2008-04-09T15:03:00.002-06:00

It is 2008, about 40 years since we hit the moon - so it’s puzzling to see foot cushions sold at the local Walgreen’s with the label “Space Age Material.” How is that impressive? I wasn’t going to but this insert, but if the astronauts use it . . . it must be cool. Maybe they mean that if we have these, we will be fast-tracked into space exploration. Or perhaps it is the result of material used in previous space explorations. However, we don’t still consider Tang or Velcro “space-age” even though they were developed by NASA. What is this mystery material? It certainly isn’t anything used by the Jetsons. I mean, are we even really in a space age right now. We go to space sure, but it isn't anything like was envisioned back in the day with people commuting to the moon or vacationing on Mars.

I guess “space age” does add some flair to plain memory foam, but come on, there is nothing futuristic or spacey about it. I declare it an illegal usage and will boycott the product. You should too.

Music Show

2008-04-03T10:02:00.004-06:00

I have found a great podcast all about music. This isn't just some guy in his basement talking about stuff and schwinging, it is a real radio show. It's actually based out of Chicago on the NPR station, but I rarely am in the car when it's on - so I listen to it via podcast. Anyway, the show is called Sound Opinions and is hosted by music critics from the two big Chicago papers.

One of the best things about it is that it not only talks about new music, but helps me discover all kinds of music that I have missed over the years. Some shows are better than others, but all-in-all, a great show for people that love music.

I've found it a lot of fun to listen to so you should check it out on iTunes or from their own site. Link

This Made Me Laugh

2008-04-02T10:04:00.003-06:00

I just really liked this cartoon:

Find it in its natural habitat at:

http://xkcd.com/37/

Or just check out the general website - some funny stuff, and some werido stuff:

http://xkcd.com/

The Myth goes on

2008-03-26T10:55:00.003-06:00

A certain post has been perpetuating the Ross myth by drawing the comparison between Mr. Schwimmer and myself:

Carlklef Chronicles: The shirt off his back . . .

I have always maintained that I am in fact not Ross nor David. We really don't even look all that much alike if you ask me. That does not stop people - mostly random strangers - from telling me that I look just like him. I think I'm going to start keeping track on the blog of all my "do you know who you look like" encounters from here on out. Just keep in mind that there are literally hundreds of occurrences over the last 8 or so years. It's finally time that I start documenting my alleged Ross-ness. So each time I get one, I will write it up and keep a running tally in the side bar.

I wonder if the fact that I'm going to keep track now will actually affect the instances. What is the name of that law again - the one that says that the presence of the observer has an effect on the subject being observed. Hmmmm . . . . I guess we'll have to see.

How do they get elected

2008-03-25T14:10:00.003-06:00

Our fearless leader of Cook County has impressed us all again. Last year he conducted a nation-wide search to find a new chief financial officer for the county. Upon the conclusion of that search, he hired his cousin to fill the vacancy. This is pretty normal Chicago politics from what I gather (Nancy Workman is seemingly in the wrong state). Part of the argument for hiring his cousin was that she was going to be working for less money than the exiting director (say 145K instead of 155K). With the belt-tightening across the county, that was at least semi-valid argument. Now, a year later, his cousin will be getting a much larger raise than the rest of the county employees - about 12% or up to 160K. Why? Because she is so good, that she is doing twice the work now. It might be all fine and good, but I have two issues:

1 - Just the fact that he hired his cousin, promised to pay her less and then changed his tune a year later just makes you feel like he doesn't give a rat's behind what the taxpayers think. He will say one thing to get it done and then the next day, who knows. Whatever the "real" story, on its face, it just looks wrong.

2 - The county had huge cutbacks (don't even get me started on how the county made all the wrong cut-backs) to balance the budget. Then they pass a 1% sales tax increase and boom - now they have more money than they know what to do with. Now instead of saving - it just appears like they are spending. Again, it's mostly the appearance of what is going on that makes you feel like they are lying to you.

I wish the politicians would just be straight with us or at least work hard enough to APPEAR to be telling the truth. Every time I see a picture of Stroger, it just looks like he has a "I just hoodwinked you all" look on his face.

Check out the article for yourself - form your opinion. Link.

DWTS - Why do you suck me in?

2008-03-19T09:38:00.002-06:00

I don't know why, but last night I was actually excited to watch part two of the season opener for Dancing with the Stars. I even made sure I got my workout in early so that I could be back in my hotel room in time to watch (still in Atlanta for work). For some reason I'm a sucker for these dance shows. KT and I took a ballroom dance class during her last semester at BYU. We weren't what you would call awesome. When I saw Penn or Adam Carolla dance the other night I know that's what I must of looked like - and out grade reflected that. Maybe that's why I like the show - I can relate on some level. No matter the reason, I'm looking forward to next week and not ashamed.

Why do I like what America doesn't?

2008-03-18T11:34:00.004-06:00

We have found a new TV series that I like quite a bit. That's the good news. Of course it was cancelled a couple of years ago by FOX. I can add it to my list of shows FOX has screwed up for me (Arrested Development and Firefly come immediately to mind). So what is this show? Wonderfalls. Yeah, I hadn't heard of it either, but KT got it on the down-low that it was good. It's been sitting there on our Netflix queue for quite a while because I kept thinking - what is this? We didn't know what to expect at all and have been pleasantly surprised by it. Check it out - we've only watched the first disc, but are looking forward to the rest of the 13 total episodes.

Back to my real question though: what is it about my taste in TV that runs contrary to what everyone else (the collective "they") likes? I guess a good indication would be that I have no interest whatsoever in American Idol or Survivor. Not that reality TV is out for me, I do like Project Runway and Rob & Big. I don't watch Grey's Boringness or Really Desperate Housewives - because they don't interest me. The problem is that there are several good series that have been cancelled before they should have been. At least I will always have The Office, right? Right? I know it could be upsetting to some, but I never liked Seinfeld. To me, it was too easy and too boring. You can keep liking it, I just like some intelligence with my TV, not just idiots doing stupid stuff (According to Jim or Raymond anyone? - pretty much anything that has ever run on TGIF). I guess I'll have to keep pondering what is going on with my TV taste. In the mean time, at least I have 9 more episodes to keep me company.

Origins of My Geekiness

2008-03-17T09:28:00.003-06:00

More on how I'm a bit of a geek. I have been meaning to post something about this since last week: Gary Gygax, co-inventor of Dungeons & Dragons, passed away recently and While my friends and I never took to running around the Provo park with foam swords yelling "lightning bolt!", we did get into rolling dice and pretending we were fantastical people - if only on paper. As I recall, we never really got too far beyond setting up our character sheets ("sweet - a 16 on dexterity!"), buying our weapons and supplies, and playing the beginning D&D adventure, but it did have a big influence on me. I owned a set of green D&D dice for most of my life - just in the off chance that I would need to roll a saving throw from a spell or turn the undead.

So when I heard that Mr. Gygax passed away, it took me back to the days when I would pore through all the handbooks, monster manuals, and guides, trying to figure out how many experience points it would take till I got to the cool spells for my elf/ranger, what beast I might encounter, and how in the world could I incorporate a some cool weapon into my repertoire. I also just read this article by Adam Rogers who is an editor for Wired magazine (You'll have to read it to get the full effect, and there is a wicked-awesome flow-chart they put together to accompany the story). He posits that for many people D&D was the "gateway drug" for people's fascination with fantasy, science fiction and even computers. The doorway to geekdom, if you will.

I think Mr. Rogers is of a slightly older generation than I am, but it's an interesting idea. I don't know that to me it was the beginning point - I was already into Star Wars, fantasy novels (EarthSea trilogy anybody?) and Lord of the Rings type stuff. But D&D was cool in that you could take control of the characters and have more of a choose-your-own-adventure type of experience. The problem is that we never really got too far beyond the setting up. I think that part of the reason was that we had this sense that our new Nintendos would be doing all of the prep work and Dungeon Mastering for us which was the hard part anyway. Zelda may have started it off for us, but games now are way beyond what I ever hoped for in D&D. I do like a good RPG. Still, there was something simple and fun about rolling dice to see about an outcome.

I may not have been a big gamer, but I will always be glad that Jeremy Wilkins set up our first real game during recess in 6th grade. My fantasy world view definitely expanded, and I realized there was more to life than outdoor sports activities. I started to read beyond the usual young fiction into the more geeky stuff like Dragonlance. You should check out the article - it goes a long way to explain the significance of D&D to many. Plus it gave us that awesome D&D cartoon that would run on Saturday mornings. How can you beat that? Long live the geek.

New Star Wars Movie Trailer

2008-02-20T09:31:00.001-07:00

I'm pretty excited about this . . .

Congratulations Herbie???

2008-02-11T09:08:00.000-07:00

So I didn't watch the Grammys and I didn't tape the show either. But I did catch the recap on the news this morning. Am, I the only one that thinks Kanye West is very over-rated? I mean it's OK, but not what I would call groundbreaking or legendary. Whatever. My big surprise however, was for album of the year. Herbie Hancock? Seriously? So his jazz album of Joni Mitchell songs was really the best the recording industry had to offer? I will be the first to admit that I have not actually listened to the album - so I can't judge it on its merits. What I am concerned about is that the rest of America has not listened to it either. I listen to a couple of radio show podcasts about music (NPR's All Songs Considered and Chicago's Sound Opinion) which I consider a great source for music news and judgement. Neither of these shows had any mention of Herbie Hancock in any sort of round up of 2007. I'm not saying that it's not good music, I just find it funny that it won the best album of the year. I wonder why they are having such a hard time keeping their industry afloat . . .

PG Decides Not to Allow "Skyscrapers"

2008-01-31T09:13:00.001-07:00

I am disappointed to learn that Pleasant Grove will not be allowing any sort of zoning change to it's downtown area. You remember, the zoning that would have made it possible (although not likely) to build a monster 10-story skyscraper. According to the article, city officials caved to the desires of those who apparrantly can't see to the year 2020. Keep in mind that I love PG, but the downtown area really isn't much. I just don't see what they are worried about. Does building business buildings invite the gangs to move in? More traffic? It's not like they are seeing gridlock in the streets of PG as it is. Well, good luck with the new advisory board which will effectively kill any real progress. At least I know PG won't change much - I suppose that's comforting in a way.

FYI - I came about half an hour from being the Community Development Director for Pleasant Grove. I was fresh out of grad school - having just earned my Master of Public Administration degree. My uncle was on the city council and suggested that I apply for the job. I had done the same earlier for a Zoning Inspector only to lose it to some other guy with actual experience - whatever. So I didn't have any solid job prospects and no real background in city planning or urban development, but I figured why not. I felt like I could pick up those details.

So I applied and was interviewed. My uncle told me that it was down to me and a PHD in urban planning with all kinds of experience. That fact that I was even being considered was pretty amazing. I think I had going for me that I was a local and of course that my uncle was on the council. They offered the job to the other guy who turned them down. That left me. The mayor had decided to give me the call when the other guy called back and accepted the job after all. Really, he did me a favor. Not only would hit have been a very challenging job, and I would have been managing 30 year veterans in the field, but my uncle went on to be the mayor. I stayed out of the decision-making process, but it would have been uncomfortable to be working for him in a public position. In any case, sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to be in charge of some of these plans. Interesting for sure. Maybe that's why I'm so fascinated with the goings-on in PG.

Bad Sign?

2008-01-31T08:05:00.000-07:00

Is it a bad sign when you show up for work and the florescent light bulbs have all burned out above your desk? Just your desk - nobody else's. I'm a little worried about today . . . .

Update:

The union guy came and replaced the bulbs above my desk/table. I have been working with only 1 out of 3 bulbs for months and now I have 3 VERY bright ones going. It's like the sun is beating down on me now. I might have to bring in a pair of sunglasses. I definately feel more awake now - so that's good. I'm going to say that going from dark to light is certainly a good sign. Now if only we could do something about that snow outside . . .

Since when does 10 stories constitute a skyscraper?

2008-01-25T09:32:00.000-07:00

I grew up in Pleasant Grove, Utah and am proud of it. I love that town and wouldn't change my childhood for anything. I love the Strawberry Days Rodeo, the Purple Turtle, and F-dudes. So I try to keep up whenever I can with the haps in the hometown. Every once in a while, I see something that makes me laugh. According to the Daily Herald, citizens are in an uproar over new buildings being built in the downtown area. The paper makes it sound like there was an angry mob storming the building commission meeting. Is this really the one thing that is driving you to action in the community? If only the rest of the US had just these problems to deal with.

Mostly what caught my attention was that the term "skyscraper" is being thrown out to describe these 5 story (and maybe even 10-story) buildings. Really? As I write this I am sitting on the 13th floor of a 40 story building, so I'll admit that being in Chicago gives me a different view of what "skyscraper" means than my fellow Grovians. No matter how you look at it the last time anybody considered a 5 or even a 10 story building a skyscraper was in the 1800's. The Daily Herald and/or the disgruntled citizens need to tone down the description, or at least visit a place with tall buildings for some perspective.

I also find it hilarious that anybody is worried about their view being blocked by these "monster" buildings. Maybe if you lived in the apartment complex west of main street, you would not be able to see 100% of those majestic mountains, but I don't thing that would even cut off their view. I'm just not buying the view being ruined. There is a lot of space there and a 360 degrees of view. A few building will not ruin your life. If anything, it will probably add to your property value.

So maybe the grumpy PG citizens should just be proud that they have city officials willing to look forward rather than maintain the status quo. As a native PGer, I appreciate the vision of progress.

New Orleans Round-up

2008-01-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

I was just in New Orleans for a couple of days for the first time. It is definitely more interesting to go there on business than Atlanta. No offense Atlanta, but NOLA is more interesting. Now I say interesting because it is so different from Chicago or Utah - which is most of my experience in living places. We stayed in the French Quarter at the W. Not the big W that is a normal hotel - at the French Quarter W which is much smaller and was an old mansion or something. Being there on business I didn't have the chance to really spend any time sight-seeing, but we did eat at Mr. B's (BBQ shrimp that was literally finger-licking-tacular) and a couple of po boys.

We also took a stroll along Bourbon St. Monday night around 8:00. There were a surprising number of people just milling around between the bars and strip clubs. Pretty much the dirtiest place I've ever been. I wanted to take a shower after being there. I could never walk down that street again and be just fine. It reminded me of that scene in the old Pinnocio cartoon where he goes to that street or carnival (fuzzy memory here) and sees all kinds of indulgences readily available. I mean, I thought Vegas was bad, but this was just a glimpse into one of the circles of hell. It's sad really. Drunk people moving around like zombies. It was strange. Am I being too harsh? No. Larry Flint has a few "establishments" there. Need I say more?

The good news though, is that the business part went well. I have been sweating this project for a while and it was good to put faces to names and establish relationships. An interesting trip.

I Am Not Ross Open for Business

2007-12-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

I had posted off an on using Spaces, but it really wasn't that awesome. Blogger has proven to be a better tool so I am working this gig now. Obviously, I am still working on the layout and the header etc. So bear with me while I get things started. I hope to add links and a better header soon. I also have some seriously random posts in the old archive here that were mostly just test runs while I was learning to use blogger for the Carlklef Chronicles. In any case, I hope to be crankin out the posts - here is to happy reading!

-Greg

Office Commandments

2007-12-06T23:07:00.000-07:00

1) If you work in a cube farm of any size, thou shalt respect thy neighbors. This can't be emphasized enough. That means that is you are going to carry on a long phone conversation or conference call, you will do your best to find a conference room to make that call. If you can't physically remove yourself from the space you are occupying with your co-workers, please lower your voice. The whole office does not want to participate on all your calls. Respect doesn't end at calls, but we'll start there.

2) Thou shalt not bring all thine candy to work to unload it on thy co-workers. It's nice to bring a treat once in a while, but please don't just unload all of your old candy and junk on the office. We can't help but eat it so you are making us fatter. Please just toss it out.

3) If thou buildest an office space, thou shalt not make thine employees have to go through security and/or make them check out a key (like a hall pass) to use the bathroom. If a key is necessary, thou shalt give a key to all thine employees, not just management. Everyone needs to use the restroom during the day and you shouldn't make your workers feel bad for having to go. Unless you provide adult diapers so they don't have to miss work - in that case it's cool.

4) Thou shalt not overly use jargon of any sort. I am done touching bases because we are not playing baseball. No, I don't know what kind of bandwidth I will have tomorrow because I am not a telecommunications mediem. And I am not going to acknowledge that you are going to be "heads down" for the whole day unless we are playing heads up 7-up at work, in which case I'm totally in.

5) Thou shalt wash thy hands before leaving the bathroom. This sounds like it wouldn't be necessary, but I just saw a guy enter the bathroom, wash his hands, then pee, then leave. Um do you want to try that in the right order fella? I have also seen guys go #2 and then leave without a washing. Not acceptable. Always wash before leaving the bano.

That's all I'm sayin'

Better Presentations

2007-11-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

I found this tutorial on how to create better presentations. Mostly, it is for my own benefit:

| View | Upload your own

Let the race begin

2007-11-16T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am officially interested in the presidential campaign. I have refused to really get involved in the campaign until this month. The way I figure it, nobody should have to put up with that nonsense for more than a year. I know that I'm interested because kept changing the channel from a football game to the Democratic debate last night. It really was much more interesting.

So now that I'm paying attention, I am wondering a few things. Why is Hillary Clinton ahead of the rest of the pack? KT suggested and I tend to agree that it is all name recognition. I think she may generate some interest in that she is a woman, but after watching the debate, I can't understand why her ideas are better than all the others. In fact, she seems slow and behind the rest in actual ideas.

Obama, who I have been interested in, didn't looks so good. He just came off looking like he was fumbling for words and not addressing the questions. Underneath, I think he has good ideas, but they really didn't come through.

Kucinich was interesting as usual. I don't agree with all of his ideas, but at least he is clear and will answer questions. It is always interesting to see what he will say. I don't think he has a chance, but he is important to the campaign at this point because I think he brings up issues and challenges people.

Richardson is a surprising person. Lots of people say "who?" but I think he has some of the most interesting ideas. I am also impressed with his answers to questions. They answer the question asked most of the time. I did have the opportunity to shake his hand at a little fundraiser my work had a while back. He spoke for about half an hour and really displayed charisma and interesting ideas. Also, he has been running a state - which is more akin to the presidential responsibilities than being a senator. If not president, he would be an intereresting VP.

The other two that were interesting to listen to were Senators Dodd and Biden.

All in all, it was fun to watch. I do wish they would just answer the questions and not spend time running around them. I think that's why I don't like Edwards and didn't like Obama's responses in this debate. Tell us your ideas and we'll pick the winner. All in all, I think it is a strong field. Watch out republicans.

Plate of Tacos Analysis

2007-11-01T14:25:00.000-06:00

The conversation went something like:

Server: So you're finished?
Greg: Yeah, we're full.
Server: But you haven't eaten everything off the plate.
Greg: Um . . .
[server moves around to other side of the table]
Server: Lets see which ones you didn't like. So the duck and the chicken mole. Well, at least you know what not to get for the next time.
Greg: Uh, yeah . . .
Server: Next time you should get the steak taco, it is very good, or the tuna although it is a bit spicy.
Greg: That does sound good.
Server: I'll go get a dessert menu.
[server leaves]
Greg: Huh?

I've never had a server go through my uneaten items and talk about it with me. Interesting. Also, venison, duck, and chicken mole tacos are not delicious.

Randy Pausch

2007-10-24T16:16:00.000-06:00

I watched a video recently that I found to be very inspirational. You can find it on this web site. Randy Pausch is a professor at Carnegie Mellon that has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He recorded a last lecture to share a message with us all. It is entertaining and funny and you really catch on to his message. Check out the jump to the Randy Pauch website.

We could all use a few reminders to live life.

Awesome Photo

2007-09-04T11:27:00.000-06:00

New Mantra

2007-06-18T17:45:00.000-06:00

Over the weekend we watched the movie Breach, which was good. I would say 3 stars. There were a lot of interesting things to think about from that movie, but one thing really struck a chord with me. I guess it is because I have been struggling with my job and wanting to be there and thinking a lot about quitting. Last week was especially rough. I started a new project with a company and their first official job for me was to go get lunch. Awesome. I'm glad I got my masters degree for that kind of mental workout. So it hasn't been the best work week, but that's not the point of this post. The point is that I found some perspective from the movie. In the movie, the main character who has been pursuing becoming an FBI agent is realizing that his job isn't exactly what he had hoped for. That is is hard and messy and not awesome. So he goes to his dad for advice on what to do. I really liked the advice he received. His dad tells him about when he was shipping out with the Navy and was scared and worried and didn't want to go. His dad kept it simple: Get on the boat, do your job, and get back home. For some reason that really hit me. So I have been trying to think of my situation like that. Just get on the boat, do my job and get back home. It reminds me too of President Hinckley's mission story where he was struggling and his dad told him to forget himself and go to work. So I guess in the end, I just need to suck it up and do it. I have felt better ever since. Thanks Hollywood!!

Sickly

2006-03-22T12:55:00.000-07:00

I used my first sick leave time since I started this job in September of 2001. I just needed some rest yesterday and could feel this cold coming on. I knew I had to come in to do some phone interviews with Brian so I did those and then took off. I had to stop by THF for my weekly weigh-in with Tyson. I was down half a pound which isn't all that much. I told Tyson how I have been unmotivated to keep up with the program lately and so he told me to take the week off from workouts and to design my own eating program for the week. At first I was horrified that I wouldn't be working out, but the more he talked about it, the more it made sense. So I'm not pumping the iron this week and letting my body recover. Although I would like to hit a yoga class this Saturday or something.

After stopping by Taco Time for a couple of chicken & black bean burritos without sour cream, and cheese on whole wheat tortillas (my life has come to this to keep the gut off) I headed home and napped. At some point KTC was taking a nap with me, but I'm fuzzy on the details. I finnaly got myself up and puttered around for a bit until we went grocery shopping. I went to Albertson's where I practically cleaned out their produce section. Everything from spaghetti squash to apples. It's nice to eat better, but it involves a lot of those little plastic bags. KTC went to Costco for our usual items there. We met back at the house to see Abby there and we fixed our dinner. Abby was over to watch more of season three of 24 with us. While KTC was cleaning up, Abby and I caught up on the latest episode of The Office and we laughed heartily. I love that show. We finished disc one and then wished Abby farewell and headed for bed.

This morning my throat was still a little sore and I slept in a little, but I felt better. All that sleep seems to have done me some good. It seems that if you'll just take some time and sleep, the cold goes away a lot faster. So I got in at about 10:00 this morning. Eating ice cream is what I'd like to be doing right now though . . .

Here We Go

2006-03-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

Tonight we worked on filing our tax returns. Sifting through piles of receipts, paystubs, and bank statements. That was my job while KTC did the computer work. Amazing how those receipts pile up so fast. We weigh in tomorrow and I'm not sure that I made any progress. I had too many treats this week, but I was hungry. I have been trying to think of a good name for my little online journal for quite a while tonight. Pura Vida is what I came up with. It has a pretty good ring to it I guess. The pure life. I guess that's what I'm going to put down here, my life. So we'll see how it turns out.